Educational Methods Commons^™

An Exploration Of The Rapid Prompting Method For Students With Autism, Shea Manship

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

The Rapid Prompting Method (RPM) was created by Soma Mukhopadhyay as an attempt to provide a way for individuals with autism to learn and communicate. The method has been said to give students with autism a means of communication. A facilitator quickly provides verbal prompts to the individual, who then spells out messages on a letter board or a keyboard. Very little research has been done on RPM, and it is not considered an evidence-based method. Many professionals believe that RPM is not a valid method of communication, largely due to the striking similarities it has with Facilitated Communication (FC). …

Intersections In Theatrical And Dramatic Forms: An Approach To Holistic Teaching Artistry, Madeline Mojallali

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

In my research, I studied four theatrical forms: applied theatre and devising, creative drama, arts integration, and comprehensive theatre education. The purpose of studying these forms was to uncover how the forms and their corresponding pedagogies provide a Teaching Artist with skills to create an educational experience for youth. My creative project, teaching a theatre class for homeschool students, was a way to further my research by implementing what I learned while studying the forms. The goal of my creative project was to develop an environment where young people could successfully create theatre that was relevant to their life experiences. …

Indigo Was Our Class Pet: An Exploration Of Death In Children’S Literature, Nella Williams

Graduate Student Independent Studies

Death is a complicated and emotionally weighty subject. Therefore, discussing it can be taboo in early childhood classrooms. Although this is meant to protect children, the lack of discussion limits their mental and emotional processing of bereavement and ultimately undermines their understanding of death. After teaching in a Pre-K classroom with a terminally ill reptile, the author was inspired to write a children’s book about the death of a class pet. The text reviews typical developmental milestones for five-year-olds, the target age of the book. Fives are at an age where their frameworks for understanding the world are shifting; therefore, …

Research Based Co-Teaching Practices And Their Realization In The New Jersey High School Classroom, Thomas K. Donovan

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative research study reviews co-teaching practices suggested to high school educators by their professional literature. Through a systematic analysis of published studies on the topic, a comprehensive list of suggested co-teaching practices from the past ten years was created. The study then explored the realization of these practices in the high school co-teaching classroom through surveys of 61 high school co-teachers in New Jersey. Both phases of this study assisted with the identification of opportunities for improving co-teaching practices, professional development on co-teaching, and instructional pedagogy.

Organizational Leadership Preparation: An Exploration Of Recently Ordained Roman Catholic Priests, Michael Drumm

Theses & Dissertations

Research Focus. This qualitative study explored the expectations and the experiences of recently ordained Roman Catholic priests as leaders in their parish communities. Leadership preparation of Roman Catholic priests is an important issue. Roman Catholic priests, by following the example of Jesus Christ, and as described in Apostolic Letters, Decrees and Apostolic Exhortations from the Vatican, would appear to be expected to be the personification of a good leader. Thus, the question is posed as to what newly ordained priests thought the leadership expectations would be, and what their experience has been.

Research Methods. This basic interpretive qualitative study explored …

The Importance Of Teaching Young Children Academics Through Multi-Sensory Activities, Tiffany Schardt

Senior Theses

In this project, one will find information regarding the benefits of multi-sensory learning. Multi-sensory learning is a hands-on form of learning. One will find information on how technology is causing children to spend less time learning through their senses. The project is accompanied by information for parents and what they can do to promote multi-sensory learning at home. Along with this information, parents will find a guidebook that incorporates academic concepts with multi-sensory lessons. The project is organized so that one can find information on technology, importance of multi-sensory learning, proof, and guidebook contents. The project is easily laid out …

Accelerated Creative Problem Solving And Product Improvement Applied To Experimental Devices In A Bloodstain Pattern Interpretation Class--Improving The Role Of Insight Development Tools As A Generator Of New Ideas In Novel Situations, Douglas Ridolfi

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

This project uses an action research centered study protocol to examine the effects of a problem-based learning exercise related to bloodstain pattern interpretation in a crime scene processing and general criminalistics class taught as part of an upper division forensic chemistry major in a four year college. The goal is to apply design principles and creative problem solving methods directly adapted to a project involving interpreting a set of crime scene photographs depicting blood spatter and with the aid of guided exercises in ideation and design, lead students into the development of alternate theories of how the bloodstains were created …

Supporting English Language Learners Inside The Mathematics Classroom: One Teacher’S Unique Perspective Working With Students During Their First Years In America, Amy Marie Fendrick

Research and Evaluation in Education, Technology, Art, and Design

Reflecting upon my personal experiences teaching mathematics to English Language Learners (ELL) in a public high school in Lincoln, Nebraska, this essay largely focuses on the time I spent as the only Accelerated Math teacher in my school building. From 2012 – 2017, I taught three different subjects at this high school: Advanced Algebra, Algebra, and Accelerated Math. This essay highlights why I chose to become a math and ELL teacher, as well as the challenges, issues, struggles, and successes I experienced during my time teaching. I focus on the challenges I faced teaching students who did not share my …

Language And Identity: How Music Affects Language And Communication, Hannah Helwig

Emerging Writers

First-place winner in the 2018 Emerging Writers Contest Academic Category. The essay examines the connections between music, language acquisition, and personal identity.

May/June 2018, Marci Grant

The CETL Correspondent

CETL, SWOSU, Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning

A Phenomenological Study On Teacher Perception Of Change In School Culture As A Result Of The Implementation Of Mindfulness, Justin Penley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A qualitative investigation was conducted to explore the phenomenon of teacher perception of change in school culture as a result of the implementation of mindfulness. This study used a phenomenological methodology, enabling the researcher to gather information by focusing on and describing the impact of mindfulness on school culture in a deep comprehensive manner.

The investigator was able to extract meaning and code data, leading to the emergence of themes that supported and aligned with the study’s research questions and thus led into a holistic understanding of the phenomenon. This was accomplished through data analysis of rich, in-depth interviews, onsite …

Success Rates Of Second Semester Anatomy Students In Online And On-Ground Classes At A Community College In East Tennessee, William Sproat

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Educators expect the number of institutions offering online courses and the number of students enrolling in these courses to increase as many students, particularly nontraditional students, discover the advantages of online content delivery. Online courses require new methods of communication between students and faculty as well as discovering new ways to build relationships, earn student trust, conduct appropriate assessment, and deliver useful course content. Many institutions—public, private, and for-profit—offer a wide variety of online coursework but faculty, employers, and the public have expressed concerns about the quality of online course content. In particular, online delivery of coursework in the natural …

A School Of Choice: A Case Study Of An Instructional Learning Model In A Public School System, Samuel Mccord

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This case study focused on the understandings of the administration and teaching staff with regard to the implementation and student academic growth of the B-L Upward program. The understandings were formed from data collected through structured, face-to-face interviews. The questioning of the staff members assisted in determining an understanding of the instructional model of the B-L Upward program. The experimental nature of the B-L Upward program allowed students, primarily those graduating from eighth grade and heading into high school, to choose an alternative to the traditional secondary learning environment. The current case study is an examination of the B-L Upward …

A Phenomenological Exploration Of Secondary Teachers' Perceptions Of The Flipped Classroom Model, Jami Weidmann

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative transcendental phenomenological study was to describe secondary teachers’ experiences implementing a secondary flipped classroom model (FCM) in the United States. A FCM is a framework wherein students work at their own pace and use in-class time for active learning activities. The following questions were researched: (a) How do secondary FCM teachers describe their lived experiences from implementing the FCM? (b) What benefits, if any, do secondary teachers describe from implementing the FCM? (c) What challenges, if any, do secondary teachers describe from implementing the FCM? (d) What necessary resources do teachers perceive important for successful …

An Intrinsic Case Study Examining Adaptive Recreation Instructors Who Address The Needs Of Athletes With Disabilities In Northwestern Colorado, Jenna Jordan

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this intrinsic case study was to understand the experience and pathway to becoming an adaptive recreation instructor at Oscar’s School Center for Adaptive Recreation (pseudonym). Knowledge is often missing in the preparation and training of instructors via non-traditional certification programs, on-the-job training, and background education and experience of persons working in adaptive recreation, adaptive physical education, and adaptive health education. I used an intrinsic case study to examine the perspectives of 17 participants including the executive director, program director, marketing director, and adaptive recreation instructors at Oscar’s School Center for Adaptive Recreation in Colorado, to obtain the …

Understanding High School Students' Motivation And Amotivation To Read In And Outside Of School: A Phenomenology, Matthew Deibler

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the motivation and amotivation to read of 9th-12th grade adolescents in a large semi-urban high school in southwestern North Carolina. The principal theory guiding this study is Self-Determination Theory (Deci & Ryan, 1985, 1991, 1994, 2000) as it explicates three universal human needs underpinning adolescent motivation to read. This investigation was guided by the following principal research question: How do high school students in southern North Carolina describe their motivation to read? General education high school students (n=12), balanced for gender, ethnicity, race, socioeconomic status, and initial reading motivation, were observed, …

Student Transition Into Kindergarten: A Case Study Of The Reggio Emilia Approach, Joan Stephens

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this intrinsic case study was to arrive at a better understanding of what teachers contribute to the unique issues of student transition from a Reggio Emilia approach preschool into kindergarten. Transition was defined as “. . . reciprocal organization activities and cooperation (vertical connection), one of the aims of which was to connect with families (horizontal connection)” (Ahtola et al., 2016, p. 169). The central question of the research is; what do Reggio Emilia approach schoolteachers contribute to transition? Vygotsky’s (1978) social constructivist theory involved the “actual relations between individuals” (p. 57), and social constructivist theory, along …

A Phenomenological Study Of Female Stem Majors Who Have Decided To Become Educators, Porcia Richardson-Spears

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to investigate, identify, and describe the lived experiences that influence female STEM majors to become secondary educators rather than enter a STEM-related corporate profession. This study was guided by Mezirow’s transformative learning theory (TLT) and Lent, Brown and Hackett’s social cognitive career theory (SCCT) as they related to self-awareness, which guides and motivates the behaviors involved in choosing a career path. The research questions for this study were designed to investigate the experiences that prompted females to major in STEM majors and to enter the field of teaching rather than enter corporate …

The Five-Paragraph Essay: An In-Depth Exploration Of The Genre And Its Limitations In Writing Pedagogy, Sarah N. Nafees

Honors College Theses

An ongoing debate in education-specifically the language arts discipline-is regarding the five-paragraph essay and its role in writing instruction. The five-paragraph essay is considered a staple in school writing curricula, but has recently been under great scrutiny due to its perceived lack of effectiveness. Everyone from secondary educators to curriculum experts to university professors has an opinion on this writing genre. Is it an effective tool in teaching writing and honing important writing skills? More importantly, is it effective in enabling students to be successful writers in the real world? This paper is an effort to answer these questions through …

Video Composition, Creative Discourse, And Facilitated Freedom: A Teacher's Journey To Reveal Student Potential, Michael A. Brinkmeyer

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

This research project was conducted in response to students’ lack of engagement in traditional modes of instruction and composition in a high school English Language Arts course. In order to better understand students as creative composers of knowledge, this research project asked students to engage in the video production process in collaborative groups. The research was conducted over the course of eight class periods in three different sections of Junior-level English Language Arts courses. Analysis of the data from this study reveals three important findings: 1) students respond well to creative and relevant performance assessments; 2) students’ collaborative conversations, or …

Effects Of Gender By Athletic And Music-Based Performing Arts Participation On Academic Performance, Judy Winslett

College of Education Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the possible academic effects of student participation in athletics and music-based performing arts. In pursuit of academic excellence, district school boards and administrators must carefully allocate the district’s fiscal resources to maximize available funds. If student participation in athletics and music-based performing arts indicate a link to increased academic outcomes, then eliminating these programs to reduce budget concerns may not be the best choice. Five hypotheses were considered using data from four rural Arkansas high schools to determine if any effects by gender, of student participation in athletics or music-based performing arts …

A New Model For Creative Education, Carolina Schnapp R.

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

This project explored the design of a pedagogical model for the development of creativity, targeted for teachers and educational institutions. The development of creativity has become highly relevant over the past few decades, especially with the emphasis given to 21st Century Skills and the responsibility that schools have on fostering these skills. In this project, you will find the ideas based on research and experience, that were the foundation for the model, the creative process behind the design of the model, and the final version. The project was shared with experts who validated parts of the model and opened space …

Eliciting Student Voice To Explore The Need For Culturally Responsive Teaching In Secondary Schools, Henna Lopez Rahimi

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

The aim of this research was to elicit student voice in regard to school climate, belonging, racial identity, and culturally responsive teaching. The study focused on gleaning a greater understanding of important factors that influence the academic achievement gap in a secondary school with predominantly White students and a minority group of students of color. Current studies are limited when it comes student perspective on the effects of culturally responsive teaching, identity formation, belonging, and school climate in this specific demographic. Methodology included an anonymous online survey with 52 participants and three distinct focus groups with 13 total participants. Findings …

Understanding Student Perception Of Failure To Promote Self Worth, Stephanie Grubaugh

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Teachers strive to create a safe learning environment where students can learn from their mistakes and/or failures. Even though teachers are creating safe spaces for learning, many students will not engage in activities that might be challenging to the point of that students experiencing failure. The purpose of this qualitative action research study is to examine what perceptions students have about failure in order to help teachers find non-material incentives or reward structures to help give students self-worth. The research method involved the collection of data through surveys, a guided research project about the failures of famous people and an …

Expanding The Walls Of The Classroom: Difficulties And Successes In Expedition Based, Experiential Education, Jaime Evans

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

When planned and executed with purpose and precision, expedition based, experiential education can deepen student learning, increase engagement, and help close the achievement gap. Yet, this approach to education remains the exception, rather than the norm in a standard public high school setting. The purpose of this research project is to better understand the experiences that teachers and administrators have when planning and executing expeditions, and to explore the obstacles that prevent and/or inhibit teachers from teaching outside the classroom.

This is a qualitative research project that was conducted at three schools in the Northern California Bay Area. Teachers, administrators, …

Natural Learning Environments And The Social-Emotional Development Of Students With Sensory Processing Challenges, Denise Elizabeth West

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

This study examined the impact of a natural learning environment on the social-emotional development of students with Autism and/or Sensory Processing Disorder. For this research, social-emotional development consisted of social behavior, communication, and participation. The elements of a traditional classroom are characterized by confinement, harsh lighting/acoustics, and other habitual triggers for sensory discomfort. A natural learning environment can provide students with natural stimuli, fresh air, natural acoustics, natural lighting, etc. Additionally, the natural learning environment fosters a connection with nature, which research shows is important for the self-discovery, self-advocacy, and self-efficacy of all humans. Considering the artificial nature of the …

Educational Groupings In The Middle School Science Classroom, Erica L. Mcneil

All Theses And Dissertations

Grouping students for learning has historically been debated among educational professionals. Twenty-first century skills encourage students to work together within their classrooms in preparation for future careers. Adopting Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) has required educators to encourage collaboration among students for science learning. Understanding the implications of student groupings and differentiated instructional strategies on learning requires an important conversation for educators who strive to support all learners needs sufficiently and prepare them for their future. This qualitative study examines and describes the perceptions of teachers regarding the role of educational student groupings on student learning of science concepts. Ten …

The Effect Of Peer Practice On Communication Apprehension In High School Students: A Quantitative, Quasi-Experimental, Static-Group Study, Ashley Bowman

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Curricula nationwide is trending toward mandating mastery and assessment of communication skills; however, little research exists to provide insight on how to support students suffering from communication apprehension. This quantitative, quasi-experimental, static-group comparison study examines the impact of peer practice on communication apprehension, public speaking anxiety, group discussion, meeting, and interpersonal communication among high school students. This study utilized a convenience sampling with a control and a treatment group; the sample consisted of 275 participants enrolled in grades nine through 12 at a large, public high school in South Carolina. McCroskey’s Personal Report of Communication Apprehension 24 (PRCA-24) (1982b) was …

A Predictive Correlational Study Of The Relationship Between Grit And Self-Efficacy Beliefs Among Pre-Service Teachers, Rosetta Riddle

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this predictive correlational study was to examine the relationship between the personality trait of grit and self-efficacy levels. The predictor variable of grit to the criterion variable of self-efficacy for pre-service teachers enrolled in a teacher preparation program at a Mid-Atlantic university was studied. Investigating connections between motivation and resilience that might result in self-efficacious behaviors was the focus of the study. The study was important because although some research studies existed regarding content specific self-efficacy of pre-service teachers, limited research had been conducted regarding self-efficacy beliefs of pre-service teachers based on school level. This was a …

The Relationship Between College Student Attitudes Towards Online Learning Based On Reading Self-Efficacy, Ethnicity, And Age, Felecia Edwards

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The convenience of online programs has revolutionized education to make it available for more people interested in seeking to further their education. Students enrolling into various online, higher education programs have different aptitudes and factors that play a role in their experiences and successful completion of the program. The study aims to determine relationships between factors that may influence the students’ attitudes towards online programs. The factors include reading self-efficacy, ethnicity, and the age of the college students. The present study examines these relationships between self-reported self-efficacy, ethnicity, and age, as related to attitudes toward online learning. The participants consisted …